Thermostatically-controlled damper mechanism for radiators



March 13, 1928. 1,562,541

E. W. SEAHQLM THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED DAMPER MECHANISM FOR RADIATORSFiled Dec. 28. 1922 V 2 g1/benin Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST W. SEAHOLM, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T GENERAL MOTORS COR-PORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

THERMOSTATICALLY-CONTROLLED DAMPER MECHLNISM FOR RADIATORS.

Application :tiled December 28, 1922. Serial No. 609,434.

`My invention relates to radiatonmechanism for use in' connection withinternal combustion engines employed for operating motor driven vehiclesand for similar pur- I poses; and particularly to radiator mechanism inwhich means, commonly in the form of a plurality of shutters, dampers orvanes are employedfor the purpose of controlling the iow of air throughthe cellular structure of the radiator and past the tubes or plateswhereby the cooling liquid flowing therethrough is divided into aplurality of comparatively thin streams to more effectively accomplishthe cooling thereof.

The principal obJect of my invention is to provide an improved radiatormechanism wherein the flow of air which accomplishes thecooling of thewater is controlled by shutters, dampers or equivalent devices; and inwhich the operation of the shutters is controlled b a thermostat solocated as to be affected the temperature of the engine with which theradiator is used, so that the ilow of air through the radiator will bede- 26 pendent upon and will vary with the temperature of the enginewith which the radiator is used.

A further object of my invention is to provide a radiator system of theclass or type referred to and wherein the arrangement of the parts andtheir action is such that the iiow of air through the radiator willarrested when the engine is cold, and permitted to occur when the engineis in a heated condition; the control of the said air iow controllingmeans being accomplished by a thermostat so located as to be heated bythe coolin water within the radiator itself; this resut being preferablyattained by locating the thermostat in a chamber arranged within theupper liquid chamber of the radiator where the temperature of thecooling water is the highest. In carrying out the ideas of my inventionas above expressed the shutters, dempers, or other air ow controllingmeans are operated by air compressed by a pump operated by the engine;the action et the air to accom lish the movement of the air flowcontrolling means being controlled by a thermostat for the purposehereinbeforc explained.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved mechanismoperated by air pressure and controlled by a thermostat for operatingdampers or shutters located in front of the radiator and adapted tocontrol i the How of air through the cellular intermediate portionthereof, the device being simple in construction and made up of fewparts so that it may be manufactured at a minimum of expense and will atthe same time be effective and efficient for the purpose for which it isprovided.

With the above and other objects of invention in view my inventionconsists in the improved radiator shutter or damper operating mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described andexplained; and`in such variations and modicatioiis thereof, within thescope of the concluding claim, as will be obvious to those skilled inthe art to which my iiivention relates.

Referring now to the drawing wherein the preferred embodiment of myinvention is illustrated:

Figure 1 is a view showing an engine having a radiator equipped with myinvention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view upon a considerably larger scaleillustrating the principal parts and features of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 3 designates an internalcombustion engine of the multiple cylinder type or variety, and which isassumed to be used in driving a motor driven vehicle; the engine beingequipped with a radiator comprising upper and lower water chambers 4, 5,between whicli the cellular water cooling section or structure 6 islocated,and downward through which the cooling water flows. Thiscellular portion of the radiator may be of any form whereby thedownwardly flowin water is divided into a large number o comparativelythin streams to thereby accomplish the cooling thereof the moreeffectively. The upper water chamber is connected with the upper end ofthe water jacket of the engine through a conduit 7, and water from thelower chamber 5 returns to the water jacket through a conduit 6 thereofare a plurality of oscillating vanes or shutters 9 which collectivelyprovide means for controlling the flow o air through the radiatoi` andpast the water passages thereof; said shutters being shown as providedwith trunnions 10 at their ends, which are supported in bearings in twooppositely disposed flanges 11 which in turn are carried by and formedas parts of the enclosing casing 12, commonly provided for covering theradiator and givincr it a more artistic appearance. These shutters ordempers are provided with arms 18 all of which are pivotally connectedwith a vertically disposed rod 14:, so that as said rod is moved up anddown all the shutters will be operated in unison. Figure 1 shows thevanes as in their closed positions, with their upper and lower edgesfitting ,closely throughout the series so as to substantially arrest thefiow of air through the radiator; while Figure 2 shows in dotted linesthese shutters as open so as to permit air to tiow past them and throughthe radiator structure.

The rod 14 and the air iiow controlling device provided by the shuttersis operated by an air operated member which, while it may assume avariety of forms, is illustrated as made up of a corrugated expansibleand contractable chamber 15 having a lower movable wall 1G which ispivotally connected with the upper end of said rod; and the referencenumeral 17 designates a suitable pump supported from the crank case ofthe engine in the embodiment of my invention illustrated, and operatedfrom the engine through suitable gears, or otherwise, in accordance withthe choice of the designer having in mind the particular motor vehiclepower plant with which my invention is to be used. The cylinder of thispump is connected with the interior of the chamber 15 through a conduit18, so that air compressed by the pump may flow to said chamer andaccomplisi the operation of the shutters as above explained; it beineobvious that when the air compressed by the pump is permitted to actwith full force within the chamber 15 the wall 16 will be depressed andthe shutters opened. If, however, the air discharged from the pump isnot ermitted to act within the chamber 15 tien and in that event theshutters will remain in their closed position even though the ump ma bein o eration, the shutters being move into anc held in such closedposition by a spring 19 acting upwardly against the lower end-of the rod14, and against the resistance of which spring said rod is depressedwhen air compressed by the pump is permitted to act with full forcewithin the said chamber 15.

In order to control the action of the air compressed by the pump toaccomplish the results hereinbefore mentioned the conduit 18 is providedwith a branch conduit or connection 20 leading to the externalatmosphere, and the flow through said bypass is controlled by athermostat the operation of. which is dependent upon engine tempcrature.Such a thermostat is shown at 21, the thermostat illustrated being ofthe bimetal strip type and the same having a valve 22 at its free endadapted to close over the end ot' the branch conduit 2O above referredto. The thermostat is preferably so arranged that it will be exposed toas near the temperature at which the engine is operating as possible, towhich end the same is located within a chamber 23 provided in oradjacent the upper water chamber 4 of the radiator and into which thecooling water is returned at or near the highest temperature which itreaches, and at a temperature not greatly below the temperature at whichthe engine will operate the most eiiiciently. This thermostat isillustrated as carried by a cover 24 which closes the Open outer side oftin` chamber 23; and the. branch conduit 20 is shown as threaded, and asprovided with an adjusting nut 25 and lock nut 2G. whereby the free ordischarge end of said conduit may he adjusted relative to the valve 22and to the thermostat 2l to thereby secure a proper operation ot thesystem as a whole.

The thermostat 21 is so arranged that when the engine is cold or afterit has remained idle for some time the valve 22 will stand away from theopen end of the, branch conduit 20; from which it follows that when theengine is started, and notwithstanding the air pump 17 is in operation`the shutters will remain in their closed position and will act toprevent a flow of air through the cellular structure of the radiator;because the air which is being forced through the conduit 18 by the pumpis free to fiow from the condult through the assage 20 and into thechamber 232 and idiom said chamber through an opening 27 into theexternal atmosphere. As the engine becomes heated, however, thetemperature within the chamber 23 will rise because of the risingtemperature of the water discharged into the upper radiator chamber 4and, after the engine has been in operation for a short time, thethermostat will act to move the valve 22 into a closed position over andupon the end of the branch conduit 20. As the valve approaches the seatprovided by the end of said branch conduit the fiow of air from saidconduit into the chamber 23 will be gradually reduced, and finallyarrested, such action being followed by increasing pressure within theexpansible chamber 15 and by a concomitant opening movement of theshutters 9. The position of the valve 22 will obviously depend upon thetemperature of the engine from which it follows that while the shutterswill enerally be either fully open or fully closed they willnevertheless, especially 1f the engine operates for a conslderable timebelow its maximum capacity, assume a position in which they are part wayopen only; thus reducing the iiow of air without entirely arresting itand permitting the engine to regain the higher temperature at which itshould operate. When the engine stops the temperature within the chamer23 will fall and the thermostat will permit air to escape from theconduit 18 thus bringing about a prompt closing of the shutters, whichwill revent the cooling of the radiator while tlie engine remains out ofoperation. As a matter of fact there will ordinarily be some littleleakage through the branch conduit 20 and past the valve 22 even whenthe engine is operated at its maximum temperature, so that the closingaction of the shutters occurs without delay, and substantiallysimultaneously with the cessation of operation of the engine and of theair pump; and access of air to the cellular structure of the radiator isprevented so long as the engine remains at rest, thus avoiding the wasteincident to the cooling action of the atmosphere upon the radiator 80when the engine is stopeped.

Having thus descri d and explainedmy invention, I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

. In a device of the class described and in combination with an internalcombustion engine, an air pum separate and independent of the engine anoperated thereby, a radiator having an upper Water chamber and acellular structure below sad'Chamber, and means for controlling the Howof air past or through said cellular structure; an air operated memberoperatively connected with said air fiow controlling means; a conduitconnecting said pump with said air operated member; a thermostat chamberlocated within said upper water chamber, and which thermostat chamber islopen at one side; a cover for closing the open side of said thermostatchamber, and which cover is provided with an opening through which saidchamber is placed in communication lwith the external atmosphere; aby-pass passagel leading from saidconduit through said cover anddischarging into said thermostat chamber; a valve for controlling theflow through said by-pass passage; and a thermostat carried by saidcover and located within said thermostat chamber, and which thermostatis operatively connected with said valve.

In testimony `whereof I ailix my signature.

ERNEST W. SEAHOLM.

